Are You Ready to "Bring The Neat" as well as Implement the "Top Tech Tools for Rocking It at Work and in Life"?

 Today kicks off a very busy week in the world of +Organize for Success, LLC, and I'd love for you to join in some of the fun... Beyond attending this morning's Bizwomen Mentoring Monday event and, then, celebrating the honorees of the Triangle Business Journal's 2014 Women in Business Awards over lunch, I'll be working with several wonderful clients, all leading up to two very special events this Friday, April 11th... Mark your calendar now to join me at either or both of Friday's events!

On Friday, you have two options to get tips and tidbits from me as well as several of my colleagues: First, WrapIt presents "Bring The Neat" Springtime Organizing Master Summit starting at 10am on a Google+ Hangout, and I am thrilled to be one of the presenters. This online event will feature 10 organizing specialists, who will share tips for getting organized and boosting your productivity this spring. While you can find the link to join us as well as the entire summit's agenda at BringTheNeat.com, I want to highlight that my portion about how to "Spring Clean Your Email & Mobile Devices" will be at 11:35am to 11:50am; here's a bit about what I'll share:

Then, I'm so very excited to be presenting an updated version of my "Top Tech Tools for Rocking It at Work and in Life" at 3:00pm to 5:00pm in the Training Room of Executive Office Suites in Lafayette Village at 8480 Honeycutt Road, Suite 200, Raleigh, NC 27615... Do you feel like there aren't enough hours in the day to get everything done? Might you be losing time and want to get it back? Feel like you might be treading water and all you want is to get ahead of the onslaught? Need a competitive edge?!? Well, this Friday's workshop might well offer exactly what you are seeking... Take full advantage of available software, apps and tech tools to achieve an organized office, enhanced efficiency, greater productivity and larger profitability. Adjust how you approach your work and organize for greater success so you get more done in less time, quickly find what you need when you need it and always know what must be done when. Here's what you'll take away from this presentation:

• Particular software, apps & tech tools to lower your stress and enhance work performance

• Detailed ways to use these software, apps & tech tools to achieve desired results

• How to implement suggested solutions for immediate success

Visit http://TopTechTools.eventbrite.com to register and reserve your spot. I'll do the legwork for you in finding the most up-to-date options and how you could best use each, bringing all attendees an excellent handout to be referenced later for easily adopting what software, apps and tech tools are best for your specific needs... Come ready to expand your effectiveness.

Thanks for your interest in what I'm offering for enhancing your productivity, helping you get organizing and how to include technology in your efforts for greater efficiency... I look forward to connecting with you soon, but don't hesitate to give me a holler in the meantime. Have a marvelous Monday today!

Minimize Morning Madness to Dash Out More Easily

 If the time between your early morning wake-up and the moment you're dashing out the door seems to be shrinking, it might be time to evaluate how you are getting ready to face the world.

Here are a few ways you might be able to minimize your morning madness so you are ready on time and your exit is less stressful.

Start practicing an evening routine to properly prepare for the next morning... Each night, check the next day's schedule to plan what you'll need for all activities. Verify the weather forecast and lay out your clothes for the day as well as any accessories you'll be wearing. Think through what you have for breakfast so you aren't scrambling for something to eat. Go ahead and prepare the next day's lunch; likewise, if you have a tendency to forget grabbing your pre-made lunch from the fridge, leave yourself a "remember lunch" note on the door or by your keys. Have a set place near the door for any items that need to go out the door with you, preparing your keys, work files and purse / wallet / backpack the night before; keep a morning checklist by the door to verify you have all you need. Make sure you have gas in your vehicle. Plus, ensure you don't awake groggy with low blood sugar by consuming a tablespoon of unsweetened almond butter.

Eliminate any unnecessary actions from your mornings... When the goal is getting out the door, it is important to stay focused, but it's easy to get distracted. Can you declutter the night before so there are less distractions? Can unloading the dishwasher wait until after work? Can you absorb the morning's news on your commute to the office instead of in the morning news on TV? For some, these actions are necessary to properly start the day and can put those individuals in the right mindset; however, for others, they are simply distractions that lead to tardiness in getting out the door. Determine in which of those groups you fall and respond appropriately.

Simplify how you accomplish certain parts of getting ready... Choose a hairstyle that is easy to maintain. Choose a breakfast that is easy to prepare, embracing convenience foods, like cereal, yogurt with pre-made granola or frozen waffles. Choose wrinkle-free clothing. Look at each element of your morning; there might be lots of areas to streamline.

Make the most of every available minute...
- Set your alarm clock for 15 minutes earlier than you expect needing to awake, allowing you a brief block of peace before everyone else in your home is up and giving you a buffer in your morning prep timetable.
- Get moving early, remembering that activity breeds activity. Further, our brains and bodies need oxygen to function properly; getting up and moving can open your lungs for more oxygen. I recently started using the 7 Minute Workout app and have been very pleased... It's "just enough" for me!
- Start your day by drinking a tall, cold glass of water with a squeeze of fresh lemon juice, which boosts your energy, promotes good digestion, boosts your immune system, detoxifies the liver, helps you lose weight, encourages better skin and kicks off your day hydrated.
- Proceed through a routine each morning so you take out the thinking, go into autopilot and ensure what's important gets completed each day. Likewise, if you live with others, knowing beforehand who gets in the shower first can be hugely helpful.
- Break each element of the routine into a "zone" so supplies for each action are grouped together and located in the area where they will be used, like tools for getting dressed, tools for prepping your face / applying your make-up, tools for preparing your coffee and tools for making breakfast.
- Use music to motivate yourself. Further, motivate your family's youngest members by making the morning routine a game, like completing set tasks within the duration of set songs.

With just a little planning, preparation and routine-building, it can be much easier to get out of the house and on to your day's activities more quickly and with less stress... Which of these action steps can you incorporate into your life to make an impact on getting ready each morning?

Were You & Your Business Prepared for Recent Winter Weather? Be Prepared For Future Emergencies

 Did last week’s winter weather catch you off guard or were you safe at home with all your supplies before a single flake fell from the sky? When Mother Nature throws us a curveball, there are many different details to be considered; in addition to physical safety, businesses must consider how to get the word out about schedule or service changes and how to fulfill commitments.

Still, it is not just weather-related issues that can be emergencies for you and your company…  An emergency is any situation posing immediate risk to life, health, property or environment, which can include computer crashes or viruses, contagious diseases, earthquakes, fires, floods, hurricanes, ice storms, random power outages, shootings, terror alerts, theft, tornadoes, tsunamis and, even, death.

While the thought of something bad happening might be too difficult to consider, it’s vital to take simple steps to protect yourself, your team and your overall business. Here are steps to get started.

First, make a plan. What types of disasters are possible for your area? If you must evacuate, who makes that decision, what should be the exit plan and who do folks contact to check-in that they’ve made it to safety? What essential equipment must be taken from the premises as you are evacuating? How do you turn off water, gas and electricity at the main switches or valves? Where is your fire extinguisher and how do you operate it? From where can employees obtain important updates, especially when and where to return to work, particularly if there is a back-up location or if team members will be working remotely? How will you facilitate payroll in an emergency situation? Might it be helpful to keep some cash in the office, just in case you can’t get to the bank? Engage your entire team in this planning as each employee will have a different perspective and bring new ideas to the process. Further, it is important to keep these business policies and procedures in writing.

Second, prepare for communication gaps. There are many groups of individuals who will want to know what your company is doing in various circumstances. Where should employees look for necessary directives? Which team members will need to know what? What questions will arise from vendors about how business will continue? How will you notify your customers of operating plans and ways to interact with you? Will you continue to offer customers support via email, phone, online chat, eFax, snail mail or what? How soon will customers’ experiences with your company return to normal, and what should be expected in the interim? Is a press release necessary to alert the public of your business’ plans? An excellent example from this past week is how local florists were impacted by winter weather over the days leading into the Valentine’s Day holiday… If your business depends on certain dates, it may be even more important to alert consumers of your plans related to those dates. How can you utilize your website and marketing materials to communicate your emergency game plan?

Third, ensure you have the right supplies should it be unsafe to go out and you get stuck at work, at home or in your vehicle. While basics like first aid kit, matches in a waterproof container, food / water, flashlight with extra batteries, whistle, dust mask, moist towelettes, garbage bags with plastic ties, wrench, pliers and local maps from http://www.ready.gov/build-a-kit remain very important for us all, your specific needs might go beyond that list. Should you add bug repellant, sunscreen, compression stockings, small sewing kit, safety pins, pocket knife, generator, plastic sheeting / tarp with duct tape to shelter-in-place, heavy-duty work gloves, buckets, gas can with funnel, solar-powered chargers and fire escape ladders for higher stories? Plus, be sure to stock each company vehicle just as you have supplies in offices or at your home, including a flashlight, reflective vest, life hammer, flares, tire repair kit, vehicle battery booster, compass, bottled water and basic tools. 

Fourth, prepare your personal and company’s property to withstand disaster. Taking into account what hazards are likely to hit your property in each type of disaster, like flooding, extreme wind, piles of snow on your roof and electrical blackouts, what can you do to safeguard your essential business equipment? Do you utilize hosted email exchange server, hosted VoIP and cloud storage to backup messages as well as secure vital documents should your physical location be impacted by natural disasters? Further, does your building meet current safety standards to survive what disasters might strike? Should you earth or elevate equipment for its protection? If there is advance notice for any emergency, how early do you take proactive steps to prepare property?

Fifth, keep important paperwork ready for your business, just as you would for your family or yourself. Do you have your insurance policies and related contact options easily accessible? Have you scanned business licenses, permits and property deeds into the cloud so they’ll be available if you must relocate? Is there an easily accessible list of your company’s service contracts with applicable contact information as well as financial account details and their associated contacts’ details? What should be stored in the cloud? What should be stored in fire- and flood-proof safes? Are there needs specific to your industry or your location?

Sixth, keep all contact records up-to-date. While I always recommend utilizing a Customer Relationship Management Tool, in the instance of an emergency, where you are storing the information is not nearly as important as having accurate and up-to-date contact information. You’ll need to notify customers, vendors and employees alike of your plans to continue operating as usual or re-open on a specific date as well as how to communicate / interact with you during every step of the recovery process. If you don’t have their contact preferences, you cannot convey this necessary information, and that may delay getting back to normal.

Maintenance is important! Once you’ve established a solid foundation, be certain to review your plans and supplies at least every 6 months. Train each new hire immediately as he / she joins your team. Conduct fire and emergency drills regularly, scheduling regular reviews of how to operate fire extinguishers, changing smoke alarms’ batteries and conducting regular training for team members on First Aid, CPR and AED. Finally, to support ongoing success, when disaster strikes, document what worked or didn’t for future planning.

On a related note, I am a huge fan of Evernote as a tool for helping me “remember everything”. It’s not just about making notes or keeping information available in the cloud so that it’s easily accessible everywhere; it’s also about finding what I need quickly when I need it. Emergencies are an excellent example of where Evernote is useful. Whenever an emergency strikes, it’s easy to slip into a panic. Well, checklists are helpful in panic-prone situations, and Evernote is an excellent location to store those necessary checklists. Beyond that, though, many details related to your company’s tech tools, products, service contracts and accounts could be easily stored in Evernote.

Take action today… Think about all the possible issues that might face your company. Create a contingency plan so your business operates with continuity regardless of the situation and circumstances that you and your team shall face. Will you be prepared when Mother Nature strikes next or when we are faced with a terror attack? What is your game plan for your business when facing various emergencies?

Is It Time To Re-Start Your New Year's Resolutions?

 This year was going to be different, right? Yet, now that we are a few weeks into the new year, are you struggling with your new year’s goals? Might you be backsliding a bit? Have no fear… You can restart at any time! Take a moment to check out my “Apps, Websites and Tech Tools To Move You Towards Your Goals” post at http://wp.me/p3M0SC-2h8 for tech tools that can help you veer back onto the right path for your resolutions. Meanwhile, there are additional steps you can start this week to be more efficient, waste less time and open space in your life for achieving the goals and resolutions you set for this new year. Here are a few ideas:

•          Streamline your calendar system with (a) one place for all your time commitments, (b) all activities documented and (c) starting the habit of regularly reviewing that planner to start as well as end each day.

•          Schedule your weekly strategy session as a repeating event on your calendar, giving you the opportunity to outline your game plan for attacking each week’s to-do items, appointments and opportunities for personal / professional growth.

•          Organize your paper and electronic filing solutions with (a) a purge of outdated contents or overstuffed files and (b) a verification that everything in your workspace has a home as well as that each item is in its assigned location.

•          Systematize your “drop zone” upon entry and exit of your home and office so you aren’t scrambling to find your car keys as you’re running out the door.

•          Consolidate your contact system into (a) one address book, (b) updated information included for each person’s record and (c) starting to build a foundation for your system of continually inputting updated / additional contact information as it is brought to you by your contacts.

•          Make certain you have a tax folder easily accessible to hold incoming documentation for the year that recently ended; then, create another file for tax-related items coming in for this new year, too. 

While all of these action items in one list might seem a bit overwhelming, think of how you can break them into bite-sized portions to do each one throughout the remainder of the month. Alternatively, is there someone to whom you can delegate any of these items? Or is it time to pick which one is most relevant to your needs and bring me back in for a “check-up from the neck up” on that particular area of focus? No matter which path to productivity you choose, take time to act now because you can make a difference.

What did YOU resolve for 2014? Have you had success? If not, which of these techniques can you implement this week to open up time for moving you towards your goals? I look forward to our dialogue with your comments below.

Just a Few of My Favorite Tools...

With NBC airing a live production of The Sound of Music on December 5th, I can't get that song "A Few of My Favorite Things" out of my head. Therefore, I thought I'd share a few of my favorite apps. As I often repeat, there is no one-size-fits-all for organizing so there are many alternatives that might better suit YOUR unique needs; I preface this post with the caveat that these are just the apps (and one website!) that I currently can't live without, all for Android & iOS alike. Here are a few of my favorite tech tools:

1. Evernote - Online research, articles to review, ideas for upcoming workshops, client notes, checklists and much, much more... There's just too much for my little brain to remember, which is why Evernote's ability to help me "remember everything" is vital. My information syncs real-time between all my devices, and I can quickly locate what I need when I need it. Amazing tool!

2. Dropbox - Whether it's a Word document, Excel spreadsheet, PowerPoint presentation or PDF image, when I'm traversing the state, it's important to be able to quickly and easily access what files are needed; plus, many files are too large to email while many recipients are frightful to open unexpected attachments. Dropbox solves both issues: I can store files in the cloud to share between devices and easily share with others.

3. EasilyDo - This "smart assistant" helps me get things done, like joining a conference call with one tap, sending birthday wishes, keeping my travel documents handy and automatically updating changes to my contacts. Yes, Siri is a great option for iOS while Google Now helps Android users, but EasilyDo gives me another boost.

4. Square Register - I'm often meeting clients in your own offices or out at a public location, making it imperative to have a tool for collecting credit card payments while out-and-about. Square is easy to use and reasonably priced.

5. DocuSign - In my effort to limit paper, DocuSign has become more and more a part of my day-to-day workflow, allowing clients to sign off on agreements remotely and me to keep those signed documents in an electronic form, whether in Evernote or Dropbox.

6. Dolphin Browser - This free, mobile web browser is customizable, allows for voice and gesture controls, offers extremely fast results and includes the ability to save / share content to Evernote, Facebook and Twitter.

7. AroundMe - With all my traversing across North Carolina, this app helps me quickly locate the closest coffee shop, gas station, movie theatre, parking deck, restaurant, supermarket or bank, allows me to search for specific businesses in the vicinity and shows the local weather report for wherever I might be located.

8. Skype - Meeting virtually with clients nationwide requires a tool for face-to-face connections without having to travel any further than the screen of my tech tool. Quick, easy and free = an awesome combo!

9. WRAL's Sports Fan - As a fan of the David Glenn Radio Show broadcast noon - 3pm statewide, I like to catch what portions I can between appointments or while working on my Mac. Sometimes, I'm not in a position to listen to it on the radio, but this app makes it possible to catch the broadcast from wherever I'm working.

10. PaperKarma - Want to cut down on the mail coming into your home or business? No need to go through the hassle of Catalog Choice... Just scan your address from the mailer into PaperKarma and block future mailings.

11. Doodle - Committee meetings, client sessions with corporate teams, planning appointments with those supporting my business efforts... There are countless times I need to schedule face-to-face commitments with groups of people. With Doodle.com, folks vote for which suggested option works best, and we schedule the meeting for whatever date / time works best for most.

12. MusicID - As someone who enjoys many different kinds of music, I'm often hearing a tune I like and wondering about the title / artist. When in doubt, I open MusicID, click "Identify Song" and hold the phone near my speakers. Very quickly, all my questions about the song are answered, and I can hop to iTunes to buy it.

Which are your favorite apps? And which are the apps without which you just couldn't survive?!? Please comment below and share this post with those you think would enjoy these helpful tools.

Making a Difference in Memory of Dad for Lung Cancer Awareness Month

Last month marked the 4th year that my father has not been here to celebrate his birthday… Now, don't get me wrong; Dad was never a fan of making a big fuss in regards to birthdays, but he did like to recognize that day each year. It's an injustice that Dad's life got cut short, and I do not want anyone else to face that same kind of loss. You see, the statistics regarding lung cancer are very troubling…

- Lung cancer is the #1 cancer-killer of American women and men, taking more lives than colorectal, breast, pancreatic, kidney and lymphoma cancers COMBINED.

- Only 16% of lung cancer patients survive 5 or more years after diagnosis, compared with 89% of breast cancer patients and 99% of prostate cancer patients.

- Lung cancer takes the lives of almost twice as many women when compared to breast cancer and three times as many men when compared to pancreatic cancer.

- Of those diagnosed with lung cancer, 15-20% have never smoked while 50% are former smokers, many of whom quit smoking decades before diagnosis… Only 30-35% of lung cancer patients were current smokers when they were diagnosed.

- 1 in every 3 Americans has been touched by lung cancer, either with his / her own diagnosis or by losing a loved one to this horrible disease.

- North Carolina ranks 9th out of all states for deaths attributed to lung cancer… 8,559 North Carolinians are expected to be diagnosed with lung cancer this year; however, together, there's always something we can do to make a difference.

November is National Lung Cancer Awareness Month, and, in an effort to change the aforementioned statistics, there are many events planned to increase awareness and raise much-needed research funds. Last weekend was the Lung Cancer Initiative Run, Walk and Rally in Greensboro, NC, for which I was the event chairperson. Each year, this fun and exciting event gives all of us the opportunity to increase awareness about lung cancer, build a kinship with lung cancer survivors, friends and family members that have all been affected by this disease, and, very importantly, raise much-needed funds for lung cancer research, education & access to treatment.

I am very excited to report that this year's Lung Cancer Initiative Run, Walk and Rally had over 720 participants who have raised over $109,000 thus far, although fundraising continues through Tuesday, December 31st. Together, we truly are making a difference. There is power in numbers, and the involvement of each individual who attended or donated towards this cause is very important. On behalf of myself and everyone that worked to plan this year's Lung Cancer Initiative Run, Walk and Rally, I send out a HUGE thank you... The Lung Cancer Initiative Run, Walk and Rally of Greensboro has the most wonderful planning team, filled with non-paid volunteers who work tirelessly all year long to create an event that is both enjoyable and successfully supports our mission to "decrease deaths and provide support to those affected by lung cancer through research, awareness, education and access programs across North Carolina"… This event is truly a labor of love for everyone involved. And, with the support of our planning team volunteers, event day volunteers from UNCG, motivated donors and event participants, we can save lives and will absolutely continue to make a difference!

If you, too, want to help with #FightLungCancer2013, feel free to make a tax-deductible donation at http://lungcancerinitiativenc.racepartner.com/Greensboro/emily2013 or learn more at http://www.lungcancerinitiativenc.org/, reviewing the "lung cancer facts", "lung cancer screening info" and "resources" under "lung cancer info" from the page's header. If you have lungs, you can get lung cancer so it's vital to know the symptoms, be aware of what's happening with your body and seek assistance if you feel like something is out of whack. Early detection makes treatment so much more effective!

Before reading this blog post, if someone had asked you about which cancer took the lives of more women than any other, would you have guessed lung cancer? Likewise, before reading this blog post, would you have guessed that lung cancer takes the lives of more men than any other cancer? There is so much power in knowledge so please pass this information along.

Top 15 Features Offered by Evernote for Adding More "Wow!" to Your Life

So you've heard about this amazing tool to help you "remember everything", but you're simply not sure how it could really impact your life? Well, there are a plethora of features that make using Evernote truly awesome for entrepreneurs, C-level executives, busy professionals, small business managers and the like. Here are just a few examples of its amazing features:

1. While the most basic note in your Evernote database will consist merely of only typed text, each note can be much more complex, having options for including stored documents, recorded audio or video, captured photographs, web clippings and tasks with reminders. Solely your creativity can limit your options for notes to be included in your database.

2. Evernote users can create an unlimited number of notebooks in which to organize their notes, containing an unlimited number of notes in each notebook. Then, notebooks can be combined into what's known as stacked notebooks, providing limitless options for organizing all of one's saved content.

3. Tags allow one more level of filtering to find exactly what you need when you need that specific information. While no note requires a tag, such categories can be helpful when grouping notes from different notebooks or if you'll be searching for a note by a term not included in that note's contents.

4. Speaking of searching for any given note, it is Evernote's search capabilities that truly separate this tool from its competition. The search feature combs through not only notes' titles and the notebooks' names in which those notes are stored, but it also seeks a match in all typed or photographed text in each note's body as well as in any associated tags or URLs from which content was clipped.

5. Sharing notebooks supports collaboration as users can manage projects with team members in different places or communicate information with clients while not working in a face-to-face or side-by-side scenario.

6. Likewise, users are able to share individual notes via a link on Facebook, a link on Twitter, in an email or saved as a URL copied to a computer's clipboard.

7. Evernote offers a multitude of methods for creating notes... Every account is assigned its own email address, and each email sent to it creates a new note. Content can be clipped from various different web browsers as each clipping creates a new note. And content tweeted to @myEN subsequently creates a note, too.

8. As one's database grows, the convenience of easily editing notes' content allows each user's Evernote account to evolve with that individual's needs.

9. To enhance the ease of editing, Evernote added the Skitch feature so users can add annotations to any notes that contain images, which includes options for arrows, stamps, text, shape overlays, highlighting and more.

10. Furthermore, users are able to merge social media connections and related notes based off any interactions with those individuals in scans of business cards or manually uploaded contacts via Evernote's acquisition of Hello.

11. As reminders can be attached to each note, including an alert based off any specified date and time, Evernote allows for task and project management.

12. Evernote's ubiquity empowers users with the capacity of accessing the same information everywhere at the same time as it syncs "real time" between all devices on which the user has included the tool.

13. Via its "trunk", Evernote integrates with TONS of different partners.

14. Based off its desire to be "the permanent, trusted and ubiquitous place for all memories", Evernote holds fast to three rules: your date is yours, your data is protected and your data is portable.

15. While there are enhancements available for a small fee in the Premium version or for enterprise users in the Business version, most functionality offered by Evernote is included for free, which might be the best feature of all.

Want to learn more, including step-by-step instructions on setting up and best utilizing your account? You're in luck... A new offering of Emily's "Using Evernote to Remember Everything - Evernote Basics" workshop has been added at 3-5pm TOMORROW, and you can learn more or register now at http://evernotebasics.eventbrite.com. We look forward to seeing you there!

Tech Tools for Your Next Tailgate Party

Recently, I was invited by Geralin Thomas to "guest post" on the Metropolitan Organizing blog. Since tomorrow is the official kickoff for the NFL's regular season and high school / NCAA football continues this weekend, I wanted to share these helpful tips with you, the loyal readers of my Tips To Organize For Success blog... Enjoy!

As we inch towards fall, sportscasters everywhere fill reports with football updates… Who's the starting quarterback? Who's hurt from last night's game or practice? What's the coach's take on this year's schedule and how will the team perform? Meanwhile, there's an entirely different conversation happening in households across the country, and it all circles around pre-game festivities. It's the ultimate excuse to gather with friends for cornhole, crack open a couple cold beverages and fire up the grill. Whether you're an ACC fan waiting to see the Demon Deacons, Tar Heels, Wolfpack and Blue Devils take the field or you're an SEC fan excited about the prospects for this year's Gators, Bulldogs, Tigers and Crimson Tide, chances are good that there's tailgating in your future. If so, there are some tech tools that you might want to consider in making the process of planning your next tailgate party a little easier.

OurTailgate.com offers a free tool for ensuring the right amount of food, eliminating folks bringing duplicates and simplifying communications to all invitees. After creating an account, you choose whether your upcoming tailgate is a one-time or series event, assign a type (high school, college, professional, etc) as well as the associated sport and enter the event name, date, time and location. Then, you can manually enter your guest list or upload guests from a spreadsheet as an xls or csv file, sending an invitation to each email address added to the guest list. Create a sign-up sheet for who's responsible for which aspects of the event with the "Sign Up To Bring Items" link; finally, as the event nears, if there are necessary items for which no one has claimed responsibility, email a reminder to all invited guests… It's brilliant! Since the most important thing for a successful tailgate is getting everyone involved that is planning to attend, OurTailgate.com provides an ideal tool.

Making sure that all the vital elements are included is really essential to a successful tailgate. With that in mind, within its Family Matters section of checklists, ListPlanIt.com has quite a thorough list of what to bring.

Likewise, if you are an Android or iPhone user, consider downloading the Tailgate Fan app, which allows you to pull from a wide array of tasty recipes, share funny photos with friends and participate in contests to win awesome prizes. Android users can also shop Google Play for the Tailgating Planner app while iPhone users can find the Tailgating app in the Apple App Store, both of which lay out everything you may possible need so you don't forget any tailgating essentials.

On game day, step one is getting to your destination. iPhone's Stadium Finder app or Android's Football Stadiums app will let you type in the team you are going to see, and your smartphone will tell you where to go. Plus, each app offers seating charts to see exactly what kind of view you'll have once inside the stadium.

At the grill is where a tailgate party can be made or broken, but you don't have to be an expert to be successful. Whether using Android, iPhone or iPad, find new recipes and ideas with the Grill-It! app.

Upbeat tunes played in the background keep the party lively and energized. While you can always stick with the music downloaded to your smartphone, creating a "Tailgate Fun" playlist specifically for your tailgate parties, app options include TuneIn Radio Pro, Pandora and Spotify.

While you might be at your favorite team's game, you and those attending your shindig don't want to miss all the action across the league or your team's conference. Keep tabs on all the games happening at once with apps like ESPN ScoreCenter, NFL '13, Yahoo Sports and FOX Sports… You'll be the belle of the ball if you have such valuable details to share, all in the palm of your hand.

Above all else, though, I highly recommend that you "remember everything" by putting all your information in one place with Evernote. Since Evernote allows you to create a database of notes comprised of text, photos, audio blurbs, web clippings, checklists and tasks to be done, it's an excellent destination for things that pop into your head during the planning process, recipes you come across that you find tasty, decorations you see while out and about or tidbits you find in your online reading. Whatever you find useful for your next pre-game festivities can be compiled here, making the information accessible across all your devices whenever you need to act upon it.

With these tech tools and the involvement of everyone attending, your next tailgate party is guaranteed to be a huge success… Don't forget the ice, utensils, paper products and condiments, be sure to show your team spirit and have fun; hopefully, your favorite team will hold up their end of the bargain by winning and you'll have stellar weather. Regardless, here's to a great party!